C&C Alternatives Cage options?

Hi Justin,

Have you tried searching petfinder.com? Or crigslist.org? If there are pet stores selling guinea pigs, it won't be hard to find one from classified ads. Sadly many people buy guinea pigs for their kids and they lose interest.

About the cage space, is there a way for you to move your furniture around to accomodate the cage? 40" x 18" is not enough space for them as boars are territorial and need more space. Mane people even recommends 2x5 C&C over the 2x4 C&C for a pair of boars.

I used to live in a 700 sq.ft one bedroom apartment with my husband and 2 kids. All my cages exceed the minimum requirements. (I have many versions of cage because I like to remodel my cage)

I've posted some tips to get your space organized so you can make room for the cage.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/cafe/56677-making-space.html

Thanks Lissie, but I have used petfinder.com and all the guinea pigs are quite far away. I'm looking into maybe buying two from a town about sixty miles away, but its better to provide a home to a needy two. As for the classified ads, I've seen nothing in our area on small pets.

I've been moving my furniture around looking to accommodate them in any ways possible. And I have an area that may be comparable for them, but I'm not too sure. But I may have enough room for a 2x5 if I can work around it. And thanks for the tips, I'll get back to you on the space!

Definately with males you will want to give them at least a 2x5 (thats not 2 feet by 5 feet either thats the # of grids you will use) which is 30 inches by 70 inches or 2.5 feet by almost 6 feet.

If you cannot get the guinea pigs right away it is best to wait for ones to become available at your local shelter, petfinder, craigslist or what ever than to buy them from a pet store. Pet stores and breeding are bad.

While you are waiting for the guinea pigs you can rearrange your furniture, build your cage (there is NOT a cage available at a pet store that will be big enough), order your supplies, save up an emergency vet fund (at LEAST $200 per pig) decide on bedding and do more research on their needs.

You will probably spend about $200-300 on all the initial supplies to get them all set up (depending on how thrifty you can be). Guinea pigs are very expensive creatures, more so than dogs and cats and they are so great once they get used to you. I will never NOT have a herd of guinea pigs ever again. Kleenmamas (Online only) has the best pellets and hay available for guinea pigs. And as said previously you'll have to do some research here about bedding weather you are going to go with fleece (many do) wood shavings, wood pellets, carefresh, paper pellets etc... and there is a TON you need to read about their nutrition as far as veggies, fruits. A ton to read about health problems and medical supplies you will want on hand for your first aid kit. And so forth...

If you post your location I'm sure that someone here can help find a piggy or two in need of a home...

Also remember that they live for 7-9+ years on average so be sure that you can provide a loving home for that long.

The biggest things with males is they need plenty of room. As they get older they wil need to be checked more and more for health problems. They will need their penis, anal sac, grease gland, ears and such cleaned (or at the very least checked) once a week. Fecal impaction is a prevelant health problem with males as well as kidney stones which is why as they get older you will want to increase your emergency vet fund to at least $1000.

Can't wait to see your new piggies. We love pics so please feel free to post pics and updates!!!

Alright, I have located two little ones at a adoption center sixty miles away - and I'm going to take a look at them this Saturday. As for a cage, I think the best bet would be to build them one. Currently I have found that I can build a 2x5 and maybe a loft later. But I've read about the common medical problems, and have a whole list of veggies that are okay and not okay.

I'm not seeing where it's that expensive? For example; (monthly)
Hay = $16.00/month
Food = $12.00/month
Veggies = $25.00/month (?)

As far as a Vet, about $50.00 a visit per pig. Not too much to spend on that note, except if there is something medically wrong.

Now, about the fleece, what's so great about it?

Depending on the time of year the piggie foods can get up there in price especially if you are on a budget. Keep in mind they need 1cup of veggies per pig per day and most of that should be lettuce. I have 3 girls and we spend maybe 8 dollars a week on veggies and if there is a sale we spend maybe 5 dollars and in the winter we spend up to 15 dollars. If you can find a local hay supplier it is usually cheaper to buy a 40lb bale than little bags. We get about 8months worth of hay for 5 dollars. And we order 50lb of Sweet Meadow pellets online for 56 dollars and it lasts about 8 months as well.

Make sure you have a cavy savvy vet! Some vets do not have as much experience with guinea pigs and I would not trust my babies with my dogs vet. Keep in mind that guinea pigs are prey animals and can hide illnesses very well and the best way for earlier detection is weighing them weekly. We spent a few hundred dollars on one guinea pig who needed lots of dental care and medications and multiple check ups.

Fleece is by far my favorite bedding, I have owned guinea pigs for the past 8 years and have tried almost every bedding you can think of. The fleece paired with towels or other absorbent materials wicks away the pee. Fleece also can be a major money saver. We buy fleece for $3 a blanket and I use old towels under it and all I have to do is wash it twice a week (with daily spot cleaning of poops) and it lasts year and takes up less room in my compost bin or in the landfill. And in the summer I just hang the laundry outside to dry so I am saving on energy costs as well. Read this it is very helpful https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/bedding/21568-fleece-project-study.html .

Wow, using fleece sounds like the best idea and the cheapest. I'm not relatively looking for the cheapest way to go, but the BEST way to go for the boys. Thanks for that tip and ideal budget PrincessAngel.

Would this cage be acceptable, or not? (broken link removed)

I'm trying to figure out what I will do with the cage, because I don't want to put it on the floor because of my dog, so I'd like a stand. But this may be a bit too small - any opinions of something similar?

The Super Pet cage is too small. For $100, you can build a C&C with storage cubes underneath and a lid. What type of dog do you have?

Some samples of C&C cages with lids. Click on the picture to see more details.

jburns93 said:

Would this cage be acceptable, or not? (broken link removed)

I'm trying to figure out what I will do with the cage, because I don't want to put it on the floor because of my dog, so I'd like a stand. But this may be a bit too small - any opinions of something similar?

Click to expand...

That cage is too small. I built my own custom stand for my cage so that is one option if you have the tools. Otherwise building a grid cage and grid stand is the next best thing. I made my stand tall enough that with the grids my dog could not jump in but short enough that I could easily climb in when I swing the grids open. But I have a 12lb yorkie so you may want something taller (you also probably aren't as short as I am).



(You can see the little dog in the right corner).

The stand is made from two sheets of MDF and some plywood. It can hold a few hundred pounds (my dad and I stood on it and nothing happened). Please ignore the lack of coroplast in the front of the cage, my girls decided they liked seeing out of the cage without standing on their hind legs (lazy!). This also houses 3 girls but they are pretty good with each other, 2 males would need atleast a 2x5 (this is a 2x4).

Ah, I didn't think of adding a stand like that - a good idea indeed. But my little 8 year old dog is a shiatsu and blind at that. But I don't want him thinking that Toby and Chuck are chew toys. But I believe I can build the boys one of relative size to 5x2.

Anyhow, buying the material from Staples a good idea? (From a post I seen on here)

I'm not sure what size grids Staples has. If's it's a 14"x14" grid and 9x9 squares across, it will be okay.
If you are adopting babies, you will need to babyproof the cage. The easiest way is to put 10"high cardboard or coroplast between the grids and coroplast base. Some people overlap the grids so the spacing between the bars are smaller.

Edit to add:
I just looked on Staples website. That looks like 9x9 across so they are ok. They are pretty expensive though. Do you have Bed, Bath and Beyond or Walmart near you? If not, you could buy from Amazon.

The price is much cheaper than Staples.
Amazon.com: Whitmor 6070-1723 4 Storage Cubes, Black: Home & Garden

$50 for a vet fund would definately not be enough. I just spent $150 on a vet today and I spent $180 a few months ago and those were not serious health issues. The last thing you want is to get them, they get sick in a year and you are unable to pay for their vet care. My vet only charges $25 for a visit. The expensive part is the meds and the services like xray, ultrasounds, painkillers, antibiotics and such. 5 days of antibiotics for one of my guinea pigs is almost $50.

Glad you are building a cage. They are great and easy to reconfigure if you want to add space, change it etc...

Fleece is fairly economical. It needs to be swept/vacummed 1-2 times a day for poops. Then shaken, washed and dried 1-2 times a week. You'll want to be sure to prep the fleece properly so it wicks away the pee. You can get all kinds of styles, colors, patterns. I would say for optimal poop camoflague get a darkish patterned fleece. (Unless of course your piggies are really white/light haired then get a mid tone color) If you have to buy everything new you will probably spend up to $15-20 for 3 yards of fleece for 2 changes if you don't drape the fleece over the edges. you'll need 3 towels at least per changing so $18 approx for towels. Many of my fleece and towels last 3-4 years before they get pitched/replaced.

Coroplast can cost around $10-20 for a 4x8 foot sheet that will be just enough for a 2x5. Not sure how high you will want to make your cage but the higher you go the more grids and connectors you will need. If you have a dog, no matter how docile it maybe you will want to dog proof the cage. Those shelving grids work great for easy to use lids. The store should be able to cut them to the size you want. You'll want one 12 inch wide and one 16 inch wide and put the bigger one in front for easy access and cleaning. You'll also want to pick up a bunch of zip ties (zip cables) to add extra security to your cage and stand. So depending on those prices/sales and what not could be about $80 for grids and lid.

Kleenmamas (online only) has THE best hay and pellets ever for guinea pigs. You will have to order in bulk but that makes things MUCH cheaper than pet stores and then you are not supporting them, your supporting someone good! So about $40 for hay (depending where you are) and $30 for pellets for a 6 month supply.

Veggies vary depending on where you are, where they come from, what time of year etc...

https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=60864&highlight=project

Here is an in progress analysis based on several people over several months on what they spend for care of their guinea pigs...

Don't forget about medical supplies you should/will need on hand. Qtips, cotton balls, mineral oil (cleaning ears, penis, anal sacks), coconut oil (for cleaning grease gland), nail clippers, infant gas drops, acidophilous pills for diareah, a variety of syringes for hand feeding, dosing meds, cleaning and so much more...

Then theres toys, activities. There are so many cute fun things you can do to keep them entertained. My friend has a great collection of the fun things she has done with her cage over the years...

(broken link removed)

Well I think I blabbed your eyes out.... Hehe can't wait to see your new babies...

@ Lissie: I don't have a Bed, Bath, and Beyond anywhere near me but about three hours away. But my town has two Wal-Marts so I could look their or order online, just depends where I can get the best price. I have budgeted about one hundred dollars for this whole 'build' project.

@Onetwo: I am budgeting about one hundred dollars per check for the vet fund - I don't know if this is that realistic but I can afford it doing it this way. So, in a year I will at least have one thousand saved up for the guys. This is my basic plan, for the veterinarian visits and costs. Fleece is being taken care of, not a single problem. Veggies, I printed off a list for the ASPCA's website. Will be ordering food, hay, and supplies today! And other than that I will be building the cage for the boys soon enough.

We have been building up a case against the ASPCA for their badly informed guinea pig guidelines. I would not trust them. There is a GREAT veggy list right here in the diet section... That is regularly updated by our own guinea pig dietition.

Wow, that's the first thought I had - go to ASPCA. I guess that was a wrong thought, I throw away the list they gave me and take the one off the site. Thanks for the input.

They have a small amout of ok info but this site and guinealynx.info are the MOST up to date info and have the BEST most complete info on the internet. The owner of this site is VERY particular about the info that is added onto this site.

The ASPCA wouldn't be able to GIVE away guinea pigs is people REALLY knew how much they cost to take care of. How much daily time they needed to spend with a "rodent"... lol

Well, today I spent about two hours searching for materials I would need for building my cage - I found nothing. It's looking like I'm going to have to buy all my equipment online, something I didn't want to do. So, if anyone has ideas on the cheapest way to do this - please indulge me!

Okay! I've ordered my cage (grids [20], connectors [40], and ties [100]), so no biggy there. Now, it looks like locating the plastic part will be a challenge because they are pretty far away - so hopefully they will ship it!

The plastic part is called coroplast and you can buy that locally at almost any sign shop for around $15 but you will have to cut and score it yourself. Its not too terribly difficult but you will definately want to practice on a scrap.

have you searched here? Guinea Pig Supplies